MOSCOW, February 22 (RIA Novosti) – The government of Russia said Saturday it is submitting a bill to parliament support volunteer groups identifying unmarked war graves and unburied remains of combatants killed during wars in defense of the nation.
With the approval of the legislation, the organizations would become eligible for financial aid from the state, receive documentary and consultancy support and get additional training for their activities. Beneficiaries of state support are also to receive tax breaks.
During World War II, which by varying estimates claimed the lives of between 9 million and 14 million Soviet soldiers, many combatants killed in battle were buried in mass graves. Records of the dead were often woefully incomplete, making a comprehensive assessment of the scale and location of casualties a mammoth task.
